


Family of Choice

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 09:50:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20256157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: Bonnie has been saved, the "monster" from the Armoury has dissappeared and Caroline is happy with Stefan. So Alaric tries to start over as well. But sometimes you just can't leave the past behind. And sometimes that's a good thing.





	Family of Choice

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this originally in German and finally got around to translating it. Takes place directly after the end of Season 7, but without Damon and Enzo getting kidnapped by the Siren.

Once everything is said and done Alaric returns home with his daughters. Bonnie has been saved. She and Enzo are taking a much needed break and going on holiday. Whatever has been locked away in the Armoury has escaped and is therefore – hopefully – someone else’s problem now. They’re all okay. They’ve won again. And Caroline is starting her new life with Stefan.

Alaric wants to be angry at her, but he can’t. Because he had always known that her heart belonged to Stefan. He’d only been her second choice. She would have married him because of the girls. Out of loyalty – nothing more. She never loved him. So maybe it was better this way. They would have never been truly happy. He knows that now. It was nice to play happy family. Nice to pretend. But now it was time to face reality.

“Mama is living with uncle Stefan now.” he tells the girls. “But she still loves you very much and she’ll come visit often.” Because no matter what happens, Caroline loves the girls. Unconditionally. She’s the only mother they’ve ever known. He knows that. And he also knows that nothing will ever change that.

“But why is she living with uncle Stefan now?” Lizzie wants to know.

Alaric curses himself for leaving so quickly. He should have waited and left it to Caroline to explain. She’s so much better at these things.

“Because she wants to be with Stefan.” is the only thing he can think of. But then he remembers something. “Like your friend Heather and her dad.” Heather’s parents are divorced. Her father lives in Florida with his new wife.

Thankfully Lizzie and Josie accept that explanation, so Alaric diverts their attention with some cookies. He’s mastered the first step. But the second one is going to be just as hard. Because now he has to cancel the wedding.

Lucky for him they’d decided on a small wedding with only a handful of guests. Despite what he’s told Damon they don’t have many friends. He only knows some colleagues or the parents of his daughter’s friends. Still each phone call is torture.

“We split up. Caroline has gone back to her ex.” he tells all of them. It’s probably unfair, putting all the blame on her. But it’s easy and it’s also the truth. And he's the one who has to face these people every day, while she’s away in Mystic Falls.

They’re all very sad and assure him of their help should he need them. Alaric thanks them, although he’s doubting the honesty of those words. Most of these people are Caroline’s friends, not his. The only exception is Sally, their next-door-neighbour. She comes right over to help.

“You should burn her pictures. You’ll feel better afterwards, believe me. I’ve got ice cream, if you like. And you can cry. I don’t believe in that whole macho bullshit.“

“Thanks, but I’m fine. Really. We had a rough time for a while now. I think we’ve been deluding ourselves, with the wedding and all.” he assures her.

“You’ll find someone better.” Sally says with absolute conviction, pulling him into a hug. Ric lets her and is glad when she finally leaves about an hour later.

He’s pretty sure that he’s not going to find someone at all, least of all someone better. He’s never been such a great catch and now as a single father of two little syphon-witches? But it’s okay. He’s got his girls. They’re all that matter. And he also doesn’t want to do all that drama again. After Isobel and Jenna and Jo he’s got enough of hope and loss. He’s going to be strong. For Josie and Lizzie.

When Caroline shows up to get her stuff, he acts like always. Of course she brings Stefan. Alaric makes idle small talk with both of them. He sets up a schedule with the blonde and agrees to her visiting regularly. He even agrees when she asks if she and Stefan can take the girls over a weekend every now and then. After they leave he slumps onto the couch, completely exhausted.

He does what he can to balance work, the kids and daily chores. For the first time he realizes just how much Caroline has done in the past three years. He’s got no idea how she did it. The first week goes by in a breeze. Ric gets to work late twice and once almost forgets to pick the girls up from daycare. The house looks chaotic, the tower of unwashed dishes in the kitchen grows steadily higher and it’s only thanks to Sally, who offered to do his shopping, that there’s something edible in the fridge.

Maybe he should hire a nanny. But he doesn’t like the thought of leaving his girls all alone with a stranger. Though he probably won’t have a choice in the long run. It seems to take longer and longer for the girls to fall asleep in the evenings. Or maybe that’s only thanks to the fact that he’s so damned tired all the time.

This night they only fall asleep after he’s read them three stories. Once Alaric is sure that they’re sleeping, he slinks back down to the living room. He’s most likely going to fall asleep on the couch again, like he did two nights in a row now. Luckily for him Josie and Lizzie are notorious early risers and have no qualms about waking him to make breakfast.

But as soon as he enters the living room, he stops dead in his tracks, the TV and sleep completely forgotten. There’s a vampire on his couch. After a moments hesitation Ric sits down beside him, almost hoping that he’s simply hallucination due to lack of sleep. But no, the man next to him is very real. For a few minutes they sit there in silence.

“What do you want, Damon?”  
It takes a while for the dark-haired man to answer. “I’m sorry.”  
“Okay. And what exactly are you sorry for?” Ric wants to know.  
“For leaving without saying goodbye. You deserved more than a letter.”

Damn right, he did!

“I thought I’d never see you again.” Alaric murmurs, not even trying to hide how much that thought pains him.  
“I felt like there was no room for me in your life any longer.” is the stubborn reply. It sounds accusing. So typically Damon.  
“More like the other way around.“ Ric bites back just as accusingly.  
“You had Jo.”  
“You had Elena.”

They both know that they’re no longer talking about Damon’s three-year absence. It’s so much more than that.

“You were dead, Ric.” Damon whispers.  
“I know. And then I was back and you were dead.”  
“Crappy timing.” the vampire mutters and both men start laughing. It feels good. Almost like it used to.

“Can I stay?” Damon asks after a while.  
“Why? Can’t afford a hotel room?” the teacher jokes.  
“Ric.. I mean … Can I stay?”

Their eyes meet. For the first time tonight. Alaric suddenly feels like he’s been transported back several years. Back to the summer they spent chasing Stefan and Klaus. They had both been so lost back then. But they’d had each other. They had gotten so close. But life had ripped them apart before something more could become of it. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

“What about Elena?”  
“Elena is sleeping in a coffin. And she will be for quite some time to come.”

It’s an unsatisfying answer. This whole thing could become very complicated. And very painful. But if there’s one thing Alaric has learned by now it’s that there’s no use making plans. Life will always get in the way.

“One night.” he finally agrees.

***

One night turns into two, three, four, five… Neither of them brings the topic up again. Damon’s clothes find their way into Ric’s wardrobe. Alaric doesn’t comment and stops counting the days. Decides to live in the here and now. He’s surprised how well Damon gets along with Josie and Lizzie. It only takes a few days and they have him wrapped around their fingers. Uncle Damon makes great pancakes. And he always tops them with grinning faces made of whipped cream. Too bad that he can’t fix their dolls.

Maybe Ric should be angry at the vampire for invading his life like this. But his presence actually makes things easier. Damon does the shopping, cleaning and cooking. Okay, so the cooking isn’t so great at first. Sally is all too happy to teach him and the vampire turns out to be a very attentive student.

One time Alaric gets held up at work. He calls Damon and asks him to collect the girls from daycare. When he finally comes home the house is still standing, Josie and Lizzie are asleep in bed and dinner is waiting for him. Damon takes care of the girls more often from then on. Alaric finally gets enough sleep again. His clothes are clean. Damon scolds him when he scatters his papers all around the house or drops his dirty socks on the floor. It’s remarkable how right it all feels.

Ric stops missing Caroline. What he has with Damon is even weirder and probably over just as quickly, but at least it’s real. Because Damon also shares Alaric’s bed. It almost feels like that summer all over again. Just more real. Back then Alaric felt like he was dreaming. Now he’s very much awake.

Before he really knows it, it’s already been two months. Caroline still doesn’t know that Damon is living with him. He always leaves the house before she’s scheduled to arrive and the girls keep quiet, too. “Our secret.” Damon had said and then spun some outrageous tale why Caroline couldn’t know. It almost feels like he’s hiding here. He doesn’t tell Alaric what has transpired between him and his brother and Ric doesn’t pry. Damon will talk when he’s ready. Or he won't.

Still it’s obvious that the vampire doesn’t keep in touch with Stefan and the others. Bonnie is the only one who calls. She’s happy with Enzo and always asks Damon to pass on her best wishes to Ric. So she at least knows that Damon is here.

Alaric stops thinking about what the hell he’s doing and decides to just enjoy it. However long it may last. The neighbours and other acquaintances are surprisingly tolerant. So far no-one has said anything. Okay, maybe Damon compelled them all. Alaric wouldn’t put it past him. He’s surprised how little he actually cares. Sally at least is very happy that he’s gotten over Caroline so quickly. And that he’s made quite a catch. Ric is surprised how happy he feels right now. Everything feels good and right. Still he can’t shake the thought that his happiness never lasts long.

***

He feels his fears confirmed when he gets home late from work and finds Stefan’s car pulling into the driveway right behind his. Caroline hasn’t told him she’s coming and for a second he wonders if she intentionally forgot to mention it. If she decided to drop in unannounced to see how he's doing. He barely gets out of the car before she confronts him.

“Are you only now coming home from work? Where are the girls?” she asks in an accusing tone. Stefan gives him an apologetic look over her shoulder.  
“There was a teachers conference. The girls should be inside.”  
“Should be?” the blonde repeats. “I hope you’ve got a good babysitter. It better not be Sally. You know she’s no good with kids.”  
“Is that…?” Stefan has obviously just spotted the blue Camaro.  
Caroline’s eyes travel from Damon’s car to Alaric, understanding dawning in them. “You can’t be serious!”

Ric has no time to reply. She’s already storming into the house. Alaric and Stefan hurry to follow her. They march through the living room and right into chaos.

The kitchen radio is blaring eighties rock songs. It looks like a packet of flour has exploded and emptied its contents all over the floor. What looks like a cracked egg and spilled milk completes the picture. The centre of it all is the counter. Josie and Lizzie are standing on kitchen chairs, so they can reach the baking tray, where they are very enthusiastically placing clumps of cookie dough. It looks like about half of the dough has somehow ended up on their clothes and in their hair. And there’s a vampire standing between the two girls, covered in flour and cookie dough and staring at the unexpected guests in obvious shock. Alaric can’t stop the grin from spreading over his lips at the picture.

Then Lizzie notices the guests as well. “Mommy!” Her chair starts tipping dangerously, but before Caroline or Alaric can react, Damon has already caught her and placed her safely on the ground. She immediately runs up to Caroline.

“Uncle Damon is making chocolate cookies. And we’re helping!”  
“We can’t talk to mommy about uncle Damon, Lizzie.” Josie reminds her sister.  
“It’s okay. I think it’s about time we let your mom in on the secret.” Alaric placates her, flinching when he sees Caroline’s venomous look.

“You should get cleaned up.” she addresses the girls.  
“But the cookies…” Josie protests.  
“I think I can manage on my own from here. Why don’t you get cleaned up and put on pyjamas? Once you’re done the cookies should be ready.” Damon promises.  
Both girls immediately agree and disappear upstairs.

“Uncle Damon?” Caroline’s voice is icy.  
“They call Stefan uncle, too.” Ric reminds her.

“That’s completely different. Stefan is reliable and trustworthy. And you know that they see him.” the blonde argues, before pointing at Damon. “How long has he been here?”

“About four months.” Alaric admits with a sigh.  
“Four months? You … you mean he’s living here? And you didn’t tell me? And you told the girls not to tell me?”

“You’ve been here all this time?” Stefan asks, turning to look at his brother.  
Damon just shrugs and pretends to be very busy with the cookies.  
“You could have called.” the younger Salvatore grumbles.  
“Why? You’ve made it very clear that you’re better off without me.”

So there had been a fight. Alaric isn’t surprised.  
“That never stopped you before.” Stefan claims.  
“Maybe I’ve finally realized that it’s no use.“ Damon bites back.

He’s hurt, Alaric realizes. Whatever has transpired between him and Stefan has hurt him deeply. Damon always lashes out when he’s hurt. It’s his way of coping. Stefan seems to know it, too. Suddenly he looks guilty.

But Caroline isn’t so easily swayed. “We need to talk.”

Her tone doesn’t allow any argument and Alaric has learned when to give in. So he follows her to the living room, well aware that both Salvatores are going to eavesdrop. Fucking vampire hearing.

“I hope you’ve got a good explanation.”  
“What do you want to hear from me, Caroline?” the teacher asks tiredly.  
“What I want to…? I want to hear why you’re leaving our girls alone with Damon Salvatore! Why you’ve been lying to me for months. What the hell you’ve been thinking, inviting Damon of all people into the house!”

“Damon is my friend.” is the only thing he can come up with. Actually Damon is a lot more than that, but Caroline doesn’t need to know that. And neither does Damon for that matter.

“So? Go and meet him for a drink, if you have to. But don’t leave him alone with girls. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”

“Nothing happened. Damon would never harm the girls.”

“Are you really sure about that? You never had any qualms about trusting him with two little kids?” Caroline makes it sound like he’s lost his mind. Who knows, maybe he has. But he trusts Damon. And that’s exactly what he tells her.

“The girls adore him. He’s great with them. I really don’t get your problem. What’s wrong about leaving them alone with him for a few hours?”

“We're talking about Damon! You can’t trust him, Alaric! That’s the problem!” With the way Caroline is yelling by now, the Salvatores wouldn’t need vampire hearing to understand her every word.

“But I trust him! And if I say it’s okay for him to spend time with my daughters then that’s my decision!”

As soon as the words are out, he regrets them. Caroline has carried them and given birth to them. She almost died during the pregnancy. He knows that she loves Lizzie and Josie like a mother. She’s only concerned, like any good mother would be. She doesn’t deserve this low blow.

“Care…” he tries to apologize. But it’s too late. He can’t take the words back. Caroline’s face looks stony. She’s no longer angry. She’s hurt. Which is so much worse.

She leaves the room without another word, storming back to the kitchen. Alaric follows reluctantly. If looks could kill he’d be dead as soon as Stefan lays eyes on him. He can’t even blame the vampire. What he said was unforgivable.

Icy silence reigns in the kitchen. Caroline pushes Damon aside and starts cleaning up the mess. She always cleans when she’s stressed. Stefan alternates between watching her worriedly and shooting death glares at Alaric. Damon drifts closer to Ric. It seems like no-one really knows what to do or say now.

The return of Josie and Lizzie breaks the uncomfortable silence. They all concentrate on the girls, making sure they don’t notice anything amiss. Both of them munch on some cookies and finally allow Caroline to take them to bed.

“Alaric…” Stefan starts.  
“I know. I’ve gone too far and believe me, I regret what I said. I’ll apologize tomorrow.” the teacher promises. “I guess you’re staying?“  
“Yeah.. Caroline brought the girl’s costumes. For Halloween. She wants them to try them on, in case she has to change something.”

Right. Halloween. Alaric completely forgot. Now Caroline’s visit isn’t quite so surprising any more. They had agreed that she would go trick or treating with the girls. He just hadn’t expected her to show up quite so early.

“We’ll find a hotel.” Stefan decides.  
“You can sleep here. Caroline’s old room is empty anyway.”

Stefan’s eyes travel from Alaric to Damon. The teacher wonders if he’s said too much. He really has no idea what that thing with Damon and him even is. But the older Salvatore is meeting his brother’s eyes almost challengingly and Stefan doesn’t seem to know what to say.

“Let’s head to bed.” Damon decides.  
Alaric doesn’t want to face Caroline again tonight, so he readily agrees.

Still he feels strangely hesitant lying next to Damon a little while later. He has the feeling they should talk. But he also knows that Caroline and Stefan will be able to hear every word. And he doesn’t really know what to say anyway.

“Do you want me to leave?” Damon asks quietly after a while.  
“No. Stay.” It’s probably selfish, but Alaric doesn’t want to be alone again. Whatever this thing is, he wants to enjoy it a little longer.  
“Okay.”

***

The tense atmosphere hasn’t lessened over night. If anything it’s gotten worse. Caroline makes breakfast and acts all happy and carefree, but she doesn’t even look in Ric’s direction. He’s only glad that Lizzie and Josie are too excited about Halloween to notice.

After breakfast he asks Caroline for a word. She agrees reluctantly and only after making sure that Stefan is watching the girls. Alaric thinks she’s trying to provoke him and does his best to keep his temper in check this time. No matter what she does.

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. It wasn’t fair. And I didn’t really mean it. You are Josie and Lizzie’s mother. And they couldn’t wish for a better mother.“  
“Okay.“  
“And… I’m also sorry I didn’t tell you that Damon is here.“  
“You should have told me. You should have asked me before leaving him alone with the girls.”

Alaric takes a deep breath to stop himself from lashing out again. “As I said, I’m sorry. But I won’t change my mind. Damon gets along really well with the girls. They like him. And he’s still going to watch them in the future.”

“I don’t trust him.” Caroline argues.  
“But I trust him. And you should trust my judgement.”  
“But you obviously can’t think straight where he’s concerned.”

Ah, there it was. The hint at their relationship. If you could even call it a relationship. He’d been wondering how long it would take Caroline to address the fact that Damon was sharing his bed.

“I assure you that I can. I know all about Damon’s faults. I know all the shit he’s pulled in the past. But I also know that he always wanted to do the right thing. Whatever that is.”

Caroline isn’t convinced. He can already see her gearing up for the next tirade. Of course there are a thousand reasons why it’s a stupid idea to leave Damon Salvatore alone with two three-year-olds. But Ric doesn’t want to listen to all those reasons.

“I know I’m asking a lot, but please give him a chance. I know that a lot has happened. That you have reasons not to trust him. But people change. Stefan had his dark moments as well. And if we’re completely honest, no-one would have thought I’d make a halfway decent father one day.”

He knows it takes a lot for Caroline not to get angry and start defending Stefan. Maybe she doesn’t dare to, after all that’s happened. At least she seems to think about his words.

“I’m keeping an eye on him while we’re here. And in the future you talk to me before making decisions like that.” she finally demands.

“I will.” Alaric is quick to promise. He’s surprised that she’s actually given in. Sometimes it’s almost scary how adult Caroline is.

***

Their talk seems to have cleared the air. Almost as if to follow their example and prove that they can act like adults as well, the Salvatore brothers decide to spend the day together.

Alaric makes sure to come home from work early today, so he and Caroline can spend some time with the girls, who are happy that they’re all together again. Damon and Stefan return in the evening, smiling and looking relaxed. They’ve obviously talked. And even though Alaric doesn’t think all is well between them, it’s at least a start. The relationship of the two brothers has always been a complicated one.

Of course he has to pay for slinking off early the next day, by playing chaperone at the school’s Halloween party. Which means that Caroline and the girls have to go trick or treating without him. Of course it’s a long evening and really, days like these Alaric questions his life choice of becoming a teacher.

He’s glad to finally get home and just wants to fall into bed. But instead he runs right into a confrontation. Stefan is in the living room, yelling at his brother, while Caroline is trying in vain to play mediator.

“What happened?” Alaric wants to know. He really thought they’d gotten over this.

Stefan doesn’t answer and instead flees the room dramatically. Damon rolls his eyes, gives Alaric an apologetic look and follows his brother. Which leaves Caroline to explain the situation.

“We were out with the girls. All three of us. Josie and Lizzie insisted on Damon tagging along. And it went surprisingly well, but then…” she stops and Alaric is imagining the worst.  
“Then what?” he prods.

Caroline’s answer trumps all his fears. “A werewolf showed up. I’m so stupid. I didn’t even notice that it’s a full moon tonight.“

“A werewolf?” Alaric repeats in disbelief. He’d thought they had left this madness behind in Mystic Falls.  
“Yes. And then Damon.. he… he told us to take the girls and run. And … he lured the wolf away.”  
Alaric’s heart is pounding. “But you’re all okay, right? No-one got bitten?“  
“No, don’t worry. We’re fine.“ the blonde hurries to assure him.

But he can see that there’s something else bothering her. “Caroline?”  
“Stefan didn’t want to listen to Damon. But Damon said… he said the girls were more important than him. So we took them and ran.”  
“And Damon distracted the werewolf.” Alaric adds quietly.  
“He did. Without hesitation.“ She sounds surprised and impressed in equal measure.

Alaric can’t even blame her. But still he wonders why everyone is always so surprised about Damon acting selfless. It happens. He doesn’t really know what to think of this stunt, though. On one hand he’s touched that Damon is willing to risk his life for Lizzie and Josie. On the other hand he’s scared.

He still doesn’t know what to do with his feelings when he enters their bedroom some time later. Damon is sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for him.  
“Are you going to yell at me, too?” he asks flippantly.

Alaric doesn’t answer. Instead he pulls the vampire into his arms and just holds him. They stand like that for endless minutes. Damon seems to realize that Alaric needs this and returns the embrace without a sarcastic comment.

“I won’t yell.” the teacher decides when they finally pull apart. “I’m just happy you’re all okay.“  
“Me too.”  
“I guess it was stupid to believe there would be no supernatural dangers, just because we’re no longer in Mystic Falls.”  
“Seems like it.” the vampire mutters. “But at least we know now.“  
“Yeah, we do.“

***

All seems forgotten the next day, though Alaric can't help but notice that Stefan keeps glancing at his brother. So does Caroline, but the look she's giving the dark-haired vampire is different. It's almost as if she's really seeing Damon for the very first time. Alaric can practically see the wheels turning in her head and therefore isn't surprised when she gathers all three men around the kitchen table that night, once Lizzie and Josie are in bed.

Her words however, are a surprise. “I think you should return to Mystic Falls.“  
“What?“  
“We've seen yesterday that it's not really safe here, either. And it would be better for the girls to have all of us close all the time.“

Alaric can only stare at her. What happened to the woman who had been yelling at him just a few days ago for leaving the girls with Damon? The older Salvatore looks just as surprised. Stefan however seems to be in on the plan and is quick to back his girlfriend up.

“Care is right. The situation right now can't be good for the girls. And Mystic Falls is our home.“  
“What do you expect us to do?“ Damon wants to know. “Move into the boarding house and play happy family? All of us together?“  
“Why not? We are family.“ the younger Salvatore reminds.  
“We're always fighting.“ Damon argues.  
“Not always. We've proven in the past that we can live together peacefully. And we talked things out, didn't we? We're okay.“

“You're really serious about this?“ Alaric joins the discussion.  
“We are.“ Caroline confirms. “The boarding house is big enough. The girls are going to love Mystic Falls. And there's no shortage of babysitters.“   
“That will never work!“ Damon insists.  
“Yes, it will. As long as we all put in some effort. We're all adults. More or less.“

Alaric has to admit that at least Caroline – the youngest of all of them – acts like an adult. He's not so sure about Damon and himself. Of course her words sound plausible. He knows that Josie and Lizzie are missing her mother. But he also has to agree with Damon. Living together won't be easy.

“Please, just think about it.“ the blonde asks.  
“We will.“ Alaric promises. Damon nods.  
They should know by now that Caroline always gets what she wants. 

***

Returning to Mystic Falls feels like coming home. A lot more so than Alaric could have anticipated. This is his home now. Despite or maybe because of the things that have happened here. Leaving had been a conscious decision. But he can't help but wonder if deep down he'd always known he'd end up back here sooner or later.

Despite his fears it's surprisingly easy to get used to living in Mystic Falls again. He doesn't want to return to teaching. Instead he suddenly finds himself the leader of the Armoury, without really knowing how it happened. Bonnie is involved somehow, that much he knows. Unfortunately leading the Armoury means working with Enzo, which is annoying, but less so than expected. If push comes to shove they always have Damon and Bonnie, who mediate between them.

The new living situation also isn't as bad as expected. Josie and Lizzie love the boarding house and their big room on the upper floor. Caroline has moved into Stefan's bedroom and Alaric shares Damon's. No-one seems surprised by this.

Of course there are the usual fights between the brothers. Even though they've made up, they will never get along peacefully all the time. Alaric and Caroline have various discussions concerning the girls. But the big fight doesn't come and even when they do fight, they make up quickly.

Alaric's life is close to perfect. He's got two wonderful daughters. A job he loves and a family, no matter how chaotic and unconventional it might be. And he has Damon. Still he can't shake the fear that his happiness won't last long. It never does. Sooner or later he will loose everything he loves. Damon first of all.

Because the vampire isn't really his. Even if no-one dares to voice it, everyone must know that Ric is only a temporary thing for Damon. A place-holder for Elena. And the more time goes by, the more that knowledge hurts. 

Alaric knows that he should be happy with what he's got. That he should enjoy it while it lasts. But the uncertainty is driving him crazy. He tries to distance himself from Damon, but with no success. His feelings for the vampire are way too strong. Of course Damon notices his strange behaviour. Ric can feel him staring more and more often.

When Damon suddenly announces that he has to leave for a few days, Alaric can only nod. His throat closes off. This is it. The end has come. He just knows it. He tries to tell himself that it's better this way. They never had a chance anyway. But his heart thinks different.

“I'll be back soon.“ Damon promises.

And Ric wants to believe him. Wants it so much. But he can't. Caroline doesn't believe him either. He can see it in her eyes. Only Stefan seems to trust his brother.

“Uncle Damon has to take care of some things. He'll be back soon.“ he tells Josie and Lizzie. “I'm sure he'll even bring you a gift.“

Alaric doesn't have the heart to tell his daughters the truth. 

***

Three days go by. Four. Alaric stops looking for Damon's blue Camaro in the driveway when he returns from work. He thinks about moving into a different room. Maybe even a different house. Only to end up falling asleep in Damon's bed again.

In the end only five days have gone by when Alaric wakes in the middle of the night to the feeling of Damon's cool body sliding against his own.

“Sorry for taking so long.“ the vampire whispers.  
“It's fine.“ Alaric whispers back, pulling him into his arms. “I'm just glad you're back.“  
“Me too. I didn't want to leave in the first place.“ Damon admits. “But there was something I had to do.“

Alaric waits patiently for him to continue. But Damon's next words make his blood run cold.  
“I visited Elena.“  
“Elena“ Ric repeats.  
“I had to explain some things to her.“ the vampire continues. “And she understands.“  
“Understands what?“  
“That I've been wrong. About my feelings. And my decision.“

Alaric on the other hand doesn't understand anything at all and it obviously shows on his face.

“I told her that I'm not going to wait for her. That I've already found my happy ending. With you.“ Damon explains.  
“You... that means you...“ Ric doesn't know how to form words. Doesn't dare to hope.  
“It means I choose you.“

Now Alaric has completely lost the ability of speech. His heart is racing like mad. He can barely believe it.

“Are you really sure?“ he asks once he finds his voice again.  
“Absolutely sure.“ Damon says without hesitation. And he sounds like he really doesn't have any doubt. “If you want me, that is.“ he adds then, suddenly sounding less sure.  
“Of course I want you.“ 

For a while they just lie like that, not talking. Alaric thinks that he will finally be able to sleep peacefully now, with Damon in his arms. Damon, who really belongs to him now. But then the vampire's voice cuts through his thoughts.

“Would you consider becoming a vampire again?“

Bam – Alaric is completely awake again.

“I know your first experience as a vampire wasn't a good one.“ Damon continues. “But it would be different this time. I would be there. I could help you cope.“

“Damon...“  
“We could be together forever.“  
“Damon...“  
“At least think about it. I don't want an answer right now. We've got time. Just think about it and tell me when you've decided.“

“And if I decide not to become a vampire?“ Alaric asks cautiously.  
Damon hesitates, but his voice is surprisingly sure when he answers. “If you don't want to turn into a vampire, then I'll turn human.“  
Once again Ric is rendered speechless for a moment. “You would take the cure? For me?“  
“I want to be with you. Completely. No matter how. So yes, I would take the cure.“ 

It's these words, Damon's willingness to sacrifice his old life for them, that stops Alaric from giving his answer right now. That makes him really think about the possibilities.

“Give me a year. Then we'll decide. Together.“ is what he finally settles on.  
“Agreed.“

Suddenly Damon starts chuckling. “Fuck, when did we grow up so much?“ he wonders.  
“No idea.“ Alaric admits, laughing as well.

And he really doesn't have an idea. But he knows what Damon means. A couple of years ago they would have fought, instead of talking. Maybe all the bad things they had to go through had been good for something after all. Maybe they had to survive all that to get here. For the first time in a long while, maybe for the first time ever, he has the feeling that everything will be fine in the end.


End file.
